The Sending Forth of the Seventy
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
We have here a most important theme, The sending forth of the seventy. There are some things in general which we feel led to suggest here and then to take up, step by step, the particular ministry of the seventy.
1. All believers are sent of God. There is a verse which speaks of John the Baptist, saying, "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John." This should be just as truly said of any, and all of us.
The word "apostle" means "sent." All through the Old Testament there were people sent of God.
The Lord appeared unto Moses saying; "Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou may-est bring forth My people the Children of Israel out of Egypt."
The Lord said unto Isaiah, "Whom shall I send, and who will go?" Then said Isaiah, "Here am I; send me."
Unto Jeremiah the Lord came with the words, "Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee."
The Lord Jesus Himself said of all of us, "As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you."
2. The Lord will back up those whom He sends forth. When Christ said, "Go ye into all the world," He also said, "All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in earth." He said again, "Lo, I am with you." Christ meant that He would back His servants, not alone with His presence, but with all the power invested in Him as risen, ascended, and seated Lord.
When the Lord sent forth His disciples as witnesses unto Him, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the ends of the earth, He promised them, saying, "Ye shall receive power."
No missionary or pastor or evangelist or personal worker is asked to go forth in his own name, and in his own strength. Paul very plainly said; "My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."
3. All believers sent of God and backed up by God are sent to a designated task. Our life as Christians should not be a hit and miss testimony. It is all right to do whatsoever our hands find to do, but we should remember that the great and outstanding service to which we are called is a specified service. Jesus Christ said, "I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do."
Paul said, "I have finished my course." There were times in Paul's life when he sought to go to certain cities, but the Lord suffered him not. There was one time when Paul was given a vision of a man of Macedonia praying him, and saying, "Come over into Macedonia, and help us." Then Paul endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called him to preach the Gospel unto them.
I. SENT FORTH TWO BY TWO (Luke 10:1)
The Lord Jesus, in sending forth the seventy, and also the Twelve, sent them forth two by two. Should we not learn from this the wisdom of associates in the work of the Lord? Paul first went forth with Barnabas; then it was Paul and Silas, and then, Paul and Timothy. There is something in this comradeship which increases power and insures success. Each needs the other, and both need God.
1. Teamwork assures power in prayer. Christ has said, "If two of you shall agree * * as touching any thing * * it shall be done for them."
He has also said, "Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst."
2. Teamwork assures mutual encouragement. One can hold up the hands of another; even as Aaron and Hur held up the hands of Moses. There come times when one might become fainthearted, but the touch of the hand, and the cheer of the voice of comradeship presses the disheartened on to victory.
3. Teamwork carries with it the sharing of responsibility. There are problems which are too great for one to bear. Moses felt this when he said unto the Lord; "I am not able to bear all this people alone." One may be able to discern what the other fails to see. Where one lacks the other may supply.
4. Teamwork adds force to testimony. In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established. In giving testimony to Christ, that testimony is augmented, and its weight greatly strengthened when a second party stands hard by the first.
5. Teamwork makes possible the accomplishment of a larger work. What one cannot do, two can do. Where one lacks, the other can supply. All gifts never belong to one person. To one is given the spirit of wisdom, to another the spirit of knowledge. To one is given faith, to another is given prophecy. Thank God for the possibilities of team work.
II. THE LIMITED SUPPLY OF LABORERS (Luke 10:2)
As the seventy went forth, the Lord told them that the harvest was great, but the laborers were few. This is the very thing that always confronts the servants of the Lord. There is so much more to be done, than there are hands with which to do it. If every believer would go out into the harvest field, it would be different. However, most believers are loiterers instead of laborers.
1. Let us pray the Lord of the harvest for laborers. We need to carry the lack of harvesters to God. It is His work we are seeking to do. Besides this, it is God who knows not only the needs of the field, but the persons who are prepared to meet that need. We need to pray more about the personnel of laborers. He will send us help from the most unexpected sources.
2. Let us present the needs of the field to the people. There are some who have willing minds and ready hands, but they lack opportunity; they also lack generalship: they are willing to serve, but they need some one to open the doors unto them for service.
3. Let us back up with money and necessary preparation the laborers who are willing and ready to go.
[Many want to go to the mission field, but depend upon the wisdom of man instead of learning of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 11:29), and allowing the Holy Spirit to be their Teacher in all things (John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:13-14; John 3:27). True, they need equipment; they need passage money; they need support, and the God who knows the need is also the Supplier of that need; directly, or through His children. M.] We must pray the Lord of the harvest to send them forth, but we must also supply the means necessary to send them.
III. SHEEP IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES (Luke 10:3)
The seventy were told; "Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves." This is still true. There are false prophets around us everywhere, who are ready to devour the lambs of God. These prophets are "wolves in sheep's clothing." Satan, their lord, is as a roaring lion; and he urges on these false teachers. The one who is true to the testimony of Christ will always find obstacles in the way.
1. The difficulties of service. The Apostle Paul was truly sent of God, but Satan withstood him at every turn. His pathway was not strewn with flowers. The fact that he was walking in the will of God, and filled with the Spirit of God, did not mean that he was carefree.
Paul has left on record that he was thrice beaten with rods, that once he was stoned, that thrice he suffered shipwreck. He said, "A night and a day I have been in the deep."
In the journeyings which Paul took he reports that he was, "In perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren."
2. The joy of suffering for Christ. The difficulties by the way should never hinder the true servant of Christ. He should count it all joy when he falls into diverse testings. Weariness and painfulness, hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness, should never dampen his ardor. Remember, Paul sang in the Philippian jail, with his feet fast in the stocks.
IV. SENT FORTH WITHOUT PURSE OR SCRIP (Luke 10:4)
The seventy were to carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes. Money should never be the objective in the preacher's ministry.
1. God is the One who hires us, and He will reward us. Have we not read, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus"? Why then should we be fearful as to what we should eat, or as to what we should drink, or as to wherewithal we should be clothed? Does not our Heavenly Father know that we have need of all these things? He who clothes the flower of the field; He who feeds the birds of the air, will surely feed us.
2. We should not serve for filthy lucre. The Bible distinctively states, in instructions to the ministry; "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, * * not for filthy lucre."
The words ring in our ears; "Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on Mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of Hosts."
3. Those who reap Spiritual things should not hesitate imparting temporal things. There is an obligation which God has placed upon the people. He had said, "Freely ye have received, freely give." He has also ordained "that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel." Paul commanded the saints who cared for him in his need. He said; "I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God."
V. THE RESPONSIBILITY UPON THE REJECTERS (Luke 10:10-11)
Where the seventy were not received, they were instructed to wipe off the dust of their feet, as a testimony against their rejectors. On the other hand, those who received them, were to be blessed with peace. It is still true that a great responsibility falls on the individual, and the community, that has the ministry of a true servant of God.
1. The Lord reckons as against Himself everything which is done against His servant. Do we not remember how Christ spoke from Heaven unto Saul saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" Did not the Lord say to those on His left hand; "I was an hungered, and ye gave Me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in; naked, and ye clothed Me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited Me not"? Then when they asked Him as to when they had treated Him thus, He replied; "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me."
2. The Lord demonstrated the right of His servants to shake the dust off of their feet against rejectors by a striking parallelism. It was by way of illustration, and of the enforcement of the meaning of His words, that Christ cried, "Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon; which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes." Then the Lord said, that it would be "more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment," than for them.
It is no small matter, therefore, for any city to reject the testimony of the servant of God.
3. The Lord gave a stirring conclusion: "He that heareth you heareth Me; and he that despiseth you despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me."
VI. THE REPORT OF SERVICE RENDERED (Luke 10:17)
1. The seventy returned again with joy, saying, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy Name." There is no joy comparable to that which thrills the servants of Christ, when they see, through their labors, sinners delivered from Satan, and saved from the tyranny and power of sin!
It is always true that, "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing; bringing his sheaves with him."
Paul wrote of the Thessalonians, "What is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His Coming?"
The workers in God's vineyard shall not only have a reward when Christ comes, but they will also have rejoicing, as they see those gathered around them, in the glory, whom they led to know and to trust in the Saviour.
2. The confession of the seventy. The seventy rejoiced in their labor, but they did not fail to give glory to God. They said, "Even the devils are subject unto us through Thy Name." They knew that the power in which they wrought was the power of His Name.
Let those of us who labor for the Lord learn this important lesson. If we are comely, we are so because of His comeliness which He hath put upon us. If we have done anything, we have done it all through Christ who strengtheneth us. Let us ever acknowledge, that, apart from Him we can do nothing.
Our magnificat must ever be, honor, and glory, and power, and praise, and dominion, unto Him, the Lamb who was slain.
VII. THE SATISFACTION OF THE SAVIOUR (Luke 10:18-21)
1. The Saviour satisfied with the service of the seventy. As the seventy recounted to Christ what had been accomplished, and how the devils were subject to them, Christ said, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven." In their conquests, the Lord seemed to see the final overthrow of the enemy of souls.
Perhaps, even more striking, were the words of the Lord; "Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in Heaven." How striking are the words which follow: "In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes."
There were two great things in which Christ rejoiced: First, He rejoiced in the overthrow of Satan's dominion, and in the deliverance of those bound by him. Secondly, He rejoiced because His seventy had comprehended the very things which the wise and prudent, the scribes, the Pharisees, and the teachers of the Jews had neither seen nor known. It is still true, not many who are noble and mighty are called.
2. Saints should be satisfied pre-eminently in their heavenly recognition. The Lord told the seventy to rejoice because their names were written in Heaven. In other words, we are to be happy, not so much in what we have accomplished for Him, as in what He has accomplished for us.
Again, we are to rejoice, not because of the earthward results of our ministry, but because of the Heavenward results of our faith.
It is nice to know that God can use us during our so-journeying among men; but it is supremely glorious to know that we shall be forever with Him in Heaven.
It is blessed to consider that demons are subject unto us now, but it is exceedingly blessed to consider the joy which shall be ours when those whom we have led to Christ, shall become our "joy, and crown of rejoicing" in Heaven.
AN ILLUSTRATION
The story is told of a young lady who was preparing to go to a dance, and while she was putting on the finishing touches to her costume her little sister slipped into the room to speak to her.
The child, noticing how beautifully dressed her sister was, and how the brilliants glittered and gleamed in her hair, was almost speechless with wonder. As she stood gazing, her sister asked her how she thought she would look at the party, and if she didn't think the coronet she was wearing was beautiful.
The little sister had recently accepted the Lord as her Saviour, and she had been learning about Heaven, and how only those who were winners of souls, were to shine as the stars, and wear the glorious crown which was a token of their having been willing to suffer and to serve for His sake here on earth.
As she gazed and gazed at her sister in all of her splendor the scene seemed to change, and she began to wonder if her sister would ever wear the beautiful crown that is being prepared for all those who go outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
Big sister, noticing the thoughtful attitude, asked her what she was thinking so seriously about, she was surprised to hear her say, with deep concern in her little voice; "I was just wondering if you would have any stars in your crown when you get to Heaven."
Young people, how careful we need to be that we do not become so taken up with the pleasures of this world that we fail to lay up for ourselves treasures in Heaven!